Quote from: RE on Jul 19, 2024, 01:09 PMI agree that everybody who is able bodied physically and mentally should have to work at something and that everybody regardless of education or how brilliant they are should have to do some time each week working the shit jobs nobody wants but some people have to do all the time because they aren't qualified for anything else.
However, what do you do with the person who is just plain lazy and doesn't show up for work he doesn't like? What is the punishment for Laziness if a person is guaranteed food to eat and a place to sleep, shit and shower? Do you imprison them? Force them to listen to Rap Music?
RE
I had to go to work so I could not answer the question right away.
It would take more than one incident to label a hard case, but while at work an interesting thing happened. Before closing a couple came in to do some shoplifting. They each left with a full shopping cart, their take was in the thousands. They picked by price. Hard cases they are. Serious grifters.
If we confront a shoplifter, we will be fired and this causes the young men I work with to do nothing at all. I'm part time employed on the bottom of the totem pole. Actually not even on the totem pole. So it was not on me to call the police. I would have.
This was case where the police should have been called right away. Everybody working knew what was up, and the couple were in the store a long time to make sure that they would not be messed with on the way out our door. The couple should be arrested and jailed but in the land of plenty we just call what they do 'shrinkage' and pass the costs along. To this couple the huge new 'we prosecute shoplifters to the fullest extent of the law' advertised the fact that, no actually we do not. We just like posting signs big signs that lie to you.
In a world where we have eliminated homelessness and hunger not everyone gets a tenth floor penthouse and prime rib for dinner. A restaurant may have a free menu like a kids menu. You can have a cheese sandwich and an apple any time you want. Ordering something else would require a plastic credit card with a job or retirement so the card has a positive credit balance. All of which the state can provide. But everyone still has to work. Not paying bills would have consequences. Theft is still theft.
I have asked myself the question, how would your life (mine) change if your (my) socialist dream ever came true. You (I) still have to get to work on time, or my social credit score (work history) suffers. I have asked myself this question many times. What would be different. It has been a useful exercise.
Consequences we have for bad behavior now are inconsistent and as it is now, our society breeds criminal behavior. In a more planned economy BOTH consequences for negative, and rewards or positive social conduct (showing up for work or not) become consistent. More consistent than what we have now. A fact which no doubt, scares the pants off some people.
A right-wing nutjob fears society would fall apart under socialism because everything is suddenly free. They are wrong. Prime rib still costs more. We still have money. Rewards for behaving in a socially positive way would mean a family is be able to buy a house unlike they are able to do now. In a managed system rewards and punishments become consistent, more consistent than they are now.
People go off about China having a social credit score. I don't get their concern. What is an American resume, a credit score, and a clean criminal record but the same fucking thing. To get the good jobs I have had here required I looked good and show my papers. As I must do in any civilized system.
With expectations more clearly defined, most people would be able to live a more successful life. Define success as you wish, but a cheese sandwich and an apple does not work for me.